Chapter 412: The Unwritten Rules of the Great Immortal Domain

"Brother Ding, Sister Wen, we're allies now, so I'll speak plainly."

After introducing herself, Tao Xiaomei hesitated slightly, then spoke up.

Wen Zhixi smiled faintly: "Of course, Sister Tao, please go ahead."

Tao Xiaomei nodded: "You're here to take part in the sect's disciple selection, right?"

Ding Huan asked in confusion: "Sister Tao, aren't you here to take part in the sect's disciple selection?"

Seeing the other call him brother, Ding Huan couldn't be bothered to explain and simply called her sister instead.

Tao Xiaomei shook her head: "I'm not. I know I won't pass the selection, so I'm here to trade some things."

"Why? Your talent seems quite good. Can't you even enter the Discourse Assembly?" Wen Zhixi was equally puzzled.

Tao Xiaomei's cultivation was Late Jin Xian, and she didn't look very old—her talent wasn't bad at all. How could she be so certain she wouldn't be selected?

Tao Xiaomei gave a self-deprecating smile: "If it's about talent, I'm qualified to join an immortal sect. But do you know why immortal sects hold the Discourse Assembly to select disciples?"

Before Ding Huan could ask, she continued: "Because immortal sects don't want to recruit too many lone cultivators. They prefer to take in family heirs and the children of renowned powerhouses."

Almost all cultivators who attend the Great Immortal Domain Discourse Assembly are from clans, sects, or noble lineages. Lone cultivators are exceedingly rare.

You asked if it's because you can't enter the Discourse Assembly—that's one reason, but not the main one."

Ding Huan frowned. Even on Earth, there was still the "carp leaping over the dragon gate" of the imperial exams—a chance for poor youths to change their fate.

Here, it's taken away the very opportunity for ordinary lone cultivators to join an immortal sect?

Tao Xiaomei sighed: "Not recruiting lone cultivators is nearly an unwritten rule among all immortal sects."

"They believe the most vicious and evil are almost always lone cultivators—unrefined, willing to do anything to advance, even killing fellow disciples, parents, or masters…"

"You can't judge them all by one case! There are such people among sect heirs too, and there are kind-hearted lone cultivators," Wen Zhixi couldn't help retorting.

She found this unwritten rule utterly absurd, incomprehensible.

Tao Xiaomei said: "Because such things have actually happened. Haven't you heard of the Thirty-Three Dao?"

Ding Huan and Wen Zhixi both shook their heads—they'd just arrived here; how could they have heard of the Thirty-Three Dao?

Seeing neither had heard, Tao Xiaomei went on: "One thousand one hundred years ago, there was a very famous immortal sect in the Great Immortal Domain called the Thirty-Three Dao…"

A clamor of voices interrupted Tao Xiaomei.

Tao Xiaomei tugged at Ding Huan and Wen Zhixi, whispering: "It's the Chiyunu Sect and Qingxu Dao—they're staying at the Ancient Immortal Tower. Let them pass."

Ding Huan fell silent. Wen Zhixi, however, stared wide-eyed at the Chiyunu Sect—she longed desperately to join this sect.

As these two immortal sects' disciples passed, not only did their group step aside, but all cultivators on the street moved to either side.

Only after they passed did the street return to its former bustle and noise.

This showed how highly lone cultivators regarded immortal sects.

Tao Xiaomei frowned: "In past years, they always came only a few days before the Domain Discourse Assembly. Why are they here so early this year?"

"Sister Tao, may I ask—is it very hard to join the Chiyunu Sect?" Wen Zhixi couldn't help asking.

Tao Xiaomei sighed: "Wait until I finish what I was saying, and you'll understand how hard it is. Back then, the sect master of the Thirty-Three Dao was Shi Li—a kind and immensely powerful elder."

At that time, there were no strict rules or unwritten customs in the Great Immortal Domain; lone cultivators could join immortal sects far more easily than now.

Once, during a major disciple recruitment assembly, Master Shi Li happened to attend. He spotted a cultivator whose dantian had been destroyed and whose meridians had been torn apart inch by inch.

To restore such a cultivator's dantian and meridians was nearly impossible. Even if it could be done, no sect would expend such immense effort and resources for an ordinary lone cultivator.

Master Shi Li learned that this disciple had been framed.

His friend, fearing his talent was too great and that he'd take the only spot available at the Xianwugong, had sabotaged him—back then, the Xianwugong was only recruiting one disciple…"

"What a cruel bastard," Wen Zhixi blurted out.

Tao Xiaomei shook her head. Was this even cruelty?

"Master Shi Li was kind-hearted and deeply valued talent. He took this nobody—this stray dog—with no one else wanting him—back to the Thirty-Three Dao… sigh…"

As she spoke, she couldn't help sighing herself.

"Master Shi Li poured immense effort into it, using the sect's accumulated ancient treasures, until he fully restored the disciple's dantian and meridians."

"That disciple truly had astonishing talent. Within a hundred years, he reached Da Yi Xian. Two hundred years later, he surpassed Da Luo Xian and entered Luo Tian Xian. Three hundred years later, he entered the Immortal King realm…"

Hearing he reached Immortal King in three hundred years, Wen Zhixi couldn't help gasping. Even starting from True Immortal, that was astonishing talent.

Her father was a Luo Tian Xian—but he had trained for countless lifetimes of three hundred years and still hadn't reached Immortal King.

In her eyes, her father's talent was beyond extraordinary.

As for herself, she could never reach Immortal King in three hundred years.

Tao Xiaomei continued:

"Master Shi Li was overjoyed to see his disciple so outstanding and did everything he could to help him."

"But he never imagined that this disciple, to cultivate the Dao Jade Bone, betrayed him and raped his consort."

"Because Master Shi Li's consort, Rong Xiyu, possessed the Immortal Jade Body—cultivating with her could transform a partner's immortal bones."

"After killing his master and raping his mistress, this monster feared exposure and slaughtered every single person in the Thirty-Three Dao."

No matter how secretly he acted, the truth eventually came out.

After that incident, immortal sects in the Great Immortal Domain developed a prejudice against lone cultivators—they saw them as ungrateful, cruel, and vicious…"

Ding Huan remained silent. He'd seen plenty of such things himself.

Few were grateful for kindness; ungrateful, treacherous people were far too many.

"A measure of kindness breeds gratitude; a bushel breeds resentment"—this saying was no idle tale.

"What was that monster's name? Was he ever caught?" Wen Zhixi clenched her fists, unable to believe such a monster existed.

"His name was Fu Yuxing. After the truth came out, over a dozen Immortal Kings of the Great Immortal Domain hunted him."

"In the end, he fled into the Ban Ting Sea. Rumor says he was driven into the Gray Sea. Entering the Gray Sea means certain death—he's probably dead."

After speaking, Tao Xiaomei shook her head. Every time she recalled that monster, her teeth ground with hatred.

Not only her, but almost all free cultivators likely hated that beast with a vengeance.

Wen Zhixi fell silent for a long while before saying, "There are still many righteous elders in the Grand Immortal Realm; otherwise, how could Shi Qian's and his consort's vengeance ever be avenged?"

Tao Xiaomei's eyes revealed a hint of mockery; she did not explain this matter.

In her eyes, Wen Zhixi simply thought too kindly of human nature.

The reason so many strong cultivators in the Grand Immortal Realm pursue Fu Fu Yuxing has nothing to do with kindness or the pursuit of justice.

It is only because Shi Li possessed a supreme treasure, the Heaven-Earth Balance, which fell into Fu Fu Yuxing's hands—they went to seize the Heaven-Earth Balance.

"I suspect those strong cultivators pursuing Fu Fu Yuxing may have other reasons—Tao Shimei, do you know anything?" Ding Huan noticed the mockery in Tao Xiaomei's eyes and asked.

Tao Xiaomei casually cast a sealing spell and lowered her voice: "Because Shi Li possessed a supreme treasure called the Heaven-Earth Balance, and this Heaven-Earth Balance later fell into Fu Fu Yuxing's hands."

Ding Huan's heart sank; if the Heaven-Earth Balance was a treasure like his iron pot, then Fu Fu Yuxing might not have died in the Ash Sea.

Fu Fu Yuxing was at the Immortal King realm when he was pursued, so the likelihood of him refining the Heaven-Earth Balance was very high.

In other words, if he had fully refined the iron pot, even if he lacked calculation techniques, he might still survive in the Ash Sea.

If his calculations were correct and Fu Fu Fu Yuxing did not die, could his encounter with Fu Shuangping in the Myriad Void Marshes be connected to Fu Fu Fu Yuxing?

And was the Law Fruit he consumed Fu Fu Yuxing's?

He had once peeled off a seal's aura from that Law Fruit and sealed it away.

As soon as he saw Fu Fu Yuxing, he would know whether that Law Fruit belonged to him.

"Big Brother Ding, I want to go see the Yaochi Jade Maiden Gate; no matter what, I won't be content unless I try." Wen Zhixi said firmly.

Even if the Yaochi Jade Maiden Gate refused her, she would find a way to stay near its outer perimeter.

As long as she did not obtain the Ten-Fire Soul Refinement Scripture, she would never find peace.

Ding Huan nodded, then looked at Tao Xiaomei and said, "Tao Shimei, I'm going to exchange some Immortal Crystals at the Trading Tower."

Tao Xiaomei pointed to a shop with a sign reading "Ancient Road Trading Tower" and said, "Go there—they pay slightly better than the other shops."

"Alright, let's go together." Ding Huan followed Tao Xiaomei's advice.

The Trading Tower was crowded; Ding Huan grabbed a clerk and asked in a low voice, "Do you take Eternal Sea Marrow?"

Upon hearing "Eternal Sea Marrow," the clerk's eyes lit up.

Eternal Sea Marrow cannot be simply classified as a spiritual item; its value far exceeds that of many Immortal spiritual objects.